TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Approximately 94,000 migrant workers in Taiwan are unaccounted for, Labor Minister Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) said Saturday (April 11). The National Immigration Agency (移民署) reported 93,305 migrant workers were missing as of February 2026. The figures highlight concerns over gaps in the system meant to monitor Taiwan's essential labor force.
Police officially classify these workers as "unaccounted for." But activists and labor experts who track them say they aren't missing at all. They are working, often in plain sight, on pineapple farms in Chiayi, construction scaffolds in Taichung, or in private homes caring for the elderly in Taipei.
Officials say workers may leave their registered employment for various reasons, including disputes over wages, working conditions or placement arrangements through labor brokers. Once they leave the system, tracking their whereabouts becomes more difficult. The Taoyuan Serve the People Association (桃園市群眾服務協會), a migrant worker advocacy group, reported that some Vietnamese workers pay as much as US$7,000 (NT$221,270) in recruitment fees, often requiring years to repay the debt.
The issue has drawn attention to enforcement limits. While police can often quickly identify and locate criminal suspects using surveillance and digital tools, migrant workers who leave formal employment are harder to trace. Taiwan's criminal case clearance rate stood at 81.07% in February 2026, according to the National Statistics Database (總體統計資料庫), but roughly one in 10 migrant workers remains "missing."
Taiwan operates on a brokerage system where workers pay high fees to private middlemen to secure a visa. Once they arrive, they are legally tied to a single employer, limiting their ability to change jobs, particularly if they face poor conditions or low pay. Critics say this system creates conditions that push workers to leave formal employment.
Migrant labor plays a critical role in Taiwan's economy, with these workers filling jobs that local citizens have abandoned. The National Development Council (國家發展委員會), a government planning agency, projected that labor shortages in agriculture and other sectors could reach 500,000 by 2030. The projection underscores Taiwan's growing dependence on foreign workers.
By remaining "missing," these workers may find more flexible or better-paying opportunities in informal markets. They can command higher hourly wages from farmers or contractors than they could in the legal system controlled by brokers. Some workers told advocacy groups they earn more working informally than through official channels.
Authorities say they are working to address the issue through stricter monitoring and improved labor policies, though challenges remain in balancing enforcement with worker protections. Details on specific policy changes were not immediately available. The Ministry of Labor did not immediately respond to requests for comment on enforcement timelines. ◼ (At time of reporting, US$1 equals approximately NT$31.61)